12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread,
when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples asked him,
“Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them,
“Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.
14 Say to the owner of the house he enters,
‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them.
So they prepared the Passover.
What is the point of this introductory story?
Firstly,men did not normally carry pitchers of water. It was woman's work.
This is obviously something that has been set up; a signal.
Perhaps a sign of sexual equality within Christ's Way.
Perhaps the unlikely nature of the meeting points us to a supernatural agenda,
saying that this story is not fact but teaching, doctrine
meaningful but not factual.
In Luke's story the two people sent are Peter and John,
whilst here the "Twelve" arrive later, so these were other followers.
17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.
18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said,
"Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”
19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”
20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.
21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.
But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!
It would be better for him if he had not been born."
So we see the start of the story of the scapegoat.
Someone must be blamed for the situation, the crucifixion.
So they picked on the Treasurer, whom Jesus had favoured and trusted.
It is not an uncommon situation, nor is envy an usual emotion.
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,
“Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them,
and they all drank from it. He said to them:
24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,”
25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
The story of the supper follows closely that of 1 Corinthians.
Paul has defined the way that the supper should be held
and the Gospel writers comply with his direction,
though adding their own slant on events.
Here Mark brings the Kingdom of God into the frame
presenting it as the final destination to which Jesus aims.
26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
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